Mission Statement
PLAN!T NOW advocates empowerment of people through information and
connection, and creates dialogue between people living in hurricane and
severe-storm affected areas and those who should prepare in coastal
regions of the United States, Mexico and the Caribbean. Operating with
the understanding that no matter where you live, a natural disaster can
happen at any time, PLAN!T NOW advocates the power of preparedness.
Communities We Support
PLAN!T NOW assists coastal and island areas that lie between Belize,
Barbados, Trinidad and North Carolina. The organization gears its
information to the industries that are most prevalent in the Gulf Coast
and the Caribbean. These industries include farming, fisheries, oil,
hospitality and tourism.
In the United States, our work focuses on the areas north along the
eastern coastline of North Carolina; northwest along western Florida;
west along southern Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana; southwest and
south along southeastern Texas; and extends about 100 miles inland.
In the Caribbean, our work targets, but is not limited to: Aruba,
Northern Antilles, St. Lucia, Barbados, Puerto Rico, The Bahamas, The
Cayman Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada and Jamaica.
In Central America, our work is aimed at those living on the Gulf side
of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and
Panama.
The Formation of PLAN!T NOW
In 2004, Hurricane Ivan slammed into the tiny island of Grenada. The
Category 5 storm sheared the rainforest trees to stubs, ripped the
roofs from 90 percent of the homes, killed dozens of people and left
many others devastated. As word spread of the destruction, a small
group of highly passionate people led by actor Morgan Freeman were
moved to intercede on behalf of the island and its communities.
Freeman remembers receiving a telephone call from friends in that
country. They told him people on the other side of the island were
desperate to get food, water and medical aid. People were sick,
dehydrated and in danger of dying, and relief efforts were very slow.
?I had to try and help,? Freeman says. Thus, the Grenada Relief Fund
(GRF) was born.
To get the word out about Grenada?s dilemma, the members of the GRF
focused on publicizing the islanders? stories of survival and
perseverance to communities worldwide. With the help of international
partnerships between the Grenadian government and ministries,
non-governmental organizations (NGOs), U.S. nonprofits and
corporations, Grenada became a gold star example of how to recover from
severe storm and hurricane disasters.
In December 2007, The Grenada Relief Fund was renamed PLAN!T NOW.
Through education, research and indirect relief in the form of
scholarships, grants and micro loans, PLAN!T NOW focuses on
preparedness. ?Disaster happens when preparation doesn?t,? Freeman
says. PLAN!T NOW?s proactive efforts encourage people and communities
to access the tools they need to reduce the loss of life and
destruction caused by these storms.
Plan!t Now is a 501-C3 IRS designated tax exempt public charity.
